7 Bhagavad Gita Principles That Help You Let Go of What You Can’t Control
Nidhi | May 15, 2025, 23:43 IST
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
Life often feels overwhelming when we try to control everything around us. This article shares seven simple yet profound lessons from the Bhagavad Gita that teach us how to let go of what we can’t control and find real peace. Through Krishna’s timeless guidance, you’ll learn how to face uncertainty with calmness, act without getting caught up in the results, and embrace life with courage and clarity. Whether you’re struggling with stress or just want to live more mindfully, these ancient teachings offer practical wisdom to help you breathe easier and feel more grounded every day.
Throughout life, we clutch at shadows—fragile reflections of others’ judgments, fragile hopes for a future we imagine, and the delicate harvest of our endeavors. These are illusions, never truly ours to possess. The Bhagavad Gita reveals a profound secret: mastery is not the dominion over external forces but the surrender of the self’s desperate need to control. True peace dawns not from grasping, but from relinquishing.
This ancient wisdom does not beckon us toward passivity or escape. Rather, it unfolds a courageous path of sacred detachment—a discipline of fully embodied action unbound by attachment. Krishna’s words to Arjuna summon him not to abandon the battlefield but to transcend the inner conflict that shackles his spirit. To engage in the world with steadfast resolve, yet with a heart that holds no expectation.
The seven eternal principles that follow are keys to unraveling the invisible chains of attachment. They guide us gently back to the serene core within—a sanctuary where stillness reigns and freedom is born.
“कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।”
(Bhagavad Gita 2.47)
At the heart of the Gita lies this powerful idea: you have control over your actions, but not over the results they bring.
This principle shifts your focus from anxiety to effort. It teaches you to act without attachment to results — because results are governed by many forces beyond your reach. The moment you expect specific outcomes, you invite suffering. The Gita teaches to perform your karma fully, but surrender the phal (fruit) entirely. This is the foundation of mental freedom.
“योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि संगं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय।
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते॥”
(Bhagavad Gita 2.48)
Yoga, says Krishna, is not twisting the body — but balancing the mind. Equanimity (samatvam) is the mark of true discipline.
This means accepting both success and failure with the same inner stillness. When we cling to highs or resist lows, we suffer. But when we remain steady — neither elated by gain nor broken by loss — we rise above the fluctuations of life. Equanimity breaks the illusion of control and restores inner balance.
“असङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा।”
(Bhagavad Gita 15.3)
The Gita instructs you to cut attachment not with force, but with understanding. Asanga means non-attachment, not indifference. It’s not about not caring — it’s about caring wisely.
Detachment arises when you realize that nothing external is permanent — not success, not pain, not even relationships. They are all transient expressions of the gunas (modes of nature). Detaching doesn’t mean renouncing the world — it means stopping your inner dependence on it. And that alone brings freedom.
“नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति।”
(Bhagavad Gita 14.19)
All experiences — joy, anger, confusion, laziness, ambition — arise from three gunas: sattva (purity), rajas (activity), and tamas (inertia).
The Gita teaches that you are not the doer — you are the witness. Emotions and thoughts flow through you as products of the gunas, but they are not you. When you observe these fluctuations without identifying with them, you become free from their grip.
Letting go, then, is not about controlling your mood or mind — it is about stepping back and watching them pass like clouds in the sky.
“त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन।”
(Bhagavad Gita 2.45)
Krishna tells Arjuna to rise above the illusions created by the three gunas — for they are the cause of restlessness, desire, and fear.
This means not getting caught in the cycle of likes and dislikes, praise and blame, reward and punishment. What the world values is often fleeting and illusory. To live meaningfully, the Gita says, you must not be swayed by passing trends or external validation. You must cultivate viveka — the ability to discern what truly matters — and let the rest fall away.
“आत्मौपम्येन सर्वत्र समं पश्यति योऽर्जुन।”
(Bhagavad Gita 6.32)
The Gita describes the highest yogi as one who sees all beings with equality, through the lens of the self.
When you realize the sameness in all — and that all are walking their own difficult paths — you let go of anger, jealousy, and judgment. The more you release expectations from others, the more you are at peace with what is.
Seeing others as yourself helps dissolve ego, heal relationships, and makes it easier to accept things as they are — because they’re not separate from you.
“मा शुचः”
(Bhagavad Gita 18.66)
In the final assurance, Krishna says, “Do not grieve.” These two words are not a dismissal of pain — they are a reminder of your true nature.
Grief arises from attachment and identification — with body, status, relationships. But the soul (atma) is eternal, untouched by worldly events. When you root yourself in the eternal, the temporary no longer overwhelms you. You no longer grieve what changes, because you rest in what does not.
This is not apathy — this is transcendence.
Surrendering what was never truly ours to control opens the door to a profound freedom beyond the restless mind. The Bhagavad Gita teaches that peace does not come from forcing life to conform to our desires, but from embracing each moment with calm acceptance and detachment. True mastery lies in acting with full commitment while releasing all attachment to the results.
By living according to these timeless principles, we transform from being captives of circumstance into conscious witnesses of life’s unfolding. This shift allows us to meet uncertainty with courage and grace, freeing the soul from the burdens of expectation and fear. In this sacred surrender, we find an unshakable sanctuary—a place of stillness where true peace resides.
May this wisdom guide you to loosen your grip, trust life’s flow, and discover the quiet strength that lies beyond control.
Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Travel, Life Hacks, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life!
This ancient wisdom does not beckon us toward passivity or escape. Rather, it unfolds a courageous path of sacred detachment—a discipline of fully embodied action unbound by attachment. Krishna’s words to Arjuna summon him not to abandon the battlefield but to transcend the inner conflict that shackles his spirit. To engage in the world with steadfast resolve, yet with a heart that holds no expectation.
The seven eternal principles that follow are keys to unraveling the invisible chains of attachment. They guide us gently back to the serene core within—a sanctuary where stillness reigns and freedom is born.
1. Karmanye Vadhikaraste — Your Right Is to Action, Not to Outcome
Krishna Teachings
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
“कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।”
(Bhagavad Gita 2.47)
At the heart of the Gita lies this powerful idea: you have control over your actions, but not over the results they bring.
This principle shifts your focus from anxiety to effort. It teaches you to act without attachment to results — because results are governed by many forces beyond your reach. The moment you expect specific outcomes, you invite suffering. The Gita teaches to perform your karma fully, but surrender the phal (fruit) entirely. This is the foundation of mental freedom.
2. Samatvam Yoga Uchyate — Equanimity Is Yoga
Equanimity
( Image credit : Pexels )
“योगस्थः कुरु कर्माणि संगं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय।
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योः समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते॥”
(Bhagavad Gita 2.48)
Yoga, says Krishna, is not twisting the body — but balancing the mind. Equanimity (samatvam) is the mark of true discipline.
This means accepting both success and failure with the same inner stillness. When we cling to highs or resist lows, we suffer. But when we remain steady — neither elated by gain nor broken by loss — we rise above the fluctuations of life. Equanimity breaks the illusion of control and restores inner balance.
3. Asanga Shastrena Dridhena Chetasa — Detach With the Sword of Wisdom
Detach
( Image credit : Freepik )
“असङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा।”
(Bhagavad Gita 15.3)
The Gita instructs you to cut attachment not with force, but with understanding. Asanga means non-attachment, not indifference. It’s not about not caring — it’s about caring wisely.
Detachment arises when you realize that nothing external is permanent — not success, not pain, not even relationships. They are all transient expressions of the gunas (modes of nature). Detaching doesn’t mean renouncing the world — it means stopping your inner dependence on it. And that alone brings freedom.
4. Gunateetah — Transcend the Three Modes of Nature
Free Yourself
( Image credit : Pexels )
“नान्यं गुणेभ्यः कर्तारं यदा द्रष्टानुपश्यति।”
(Bhagavad Gita 14.19)
All experiences — joy, anger, confusion, laziness, ambition — arise from three gunas: sattva (purity), rajas (activity), and tamas (inertia).
The Gita teaches that you are not the doer — you are the witness. Emotions and thoughts flow through you as products of the gunas, but they are not you. When you observe these fluctuations without identifying with them, you become free from their grip.
Letting go, then, is not about controlling your mood or mind — it is about stepping back and watching them pass like clouds in the sky.
5. Nistraigunyo Bhava Arjuna — Go Beyond the Illusions
Illusion of Mind
( Image credit : Pexels )
“त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा निस्त्रैगुण्यो भवार्जुन।”
(Bhagavad Gita 2.45)
Krishna tells Arjuna to rise above the illusions created by the three gunas — for they are the cause of restlessness, desire, and fear.
This means not getting caught in the cycle of likes and dislikes, praise and blame, reward and punishment. What the world values is often fleeting and illusory. To live meaningfully, the Gita says, you must not be swayed by passing trends or external validation. You must cultivate viveka — the ability to discern what truly matters — and let the rest fall away.
6. Atma Upamya — See Others as Yourself
Hug
( Image credit : Pexels )
“आत्मौपम्येन सर्वत्र समं पश्यति योऽर्जुन।”
(Bhagavad Gita 6.32)
The Gita describes the highest yogi as one who sees all beings with equality, through the lens of the self.
When you realize the sameness in all — and that all are walking their own difficult paths — you let go of anger, jealousy, and judgment. The more you release expectations from others, the more you are at peace with what is.
Seeing others as yourself helps dissolve ego, heal relationships, and makes it easier to accept things as they are — because they’re not separate from you.
7. Ma Shucah — Do Not Grieve
Grieve
( Image credit : Freepik )
“मा शुचः”
(Bhagavad Gita 18.66)
In the final assurance, Krishna says, “Do not grieve.” These two words are not a dismissal of pain — they are a reminder of your true nature.
Grief arises from attachment and identification — with body, status, relationships. But the soul (atma) is eternal, untouched by worldly events. When you root yourself in the eternal, the temporary no longer overwhelms you. You no longer grieve what changes, because you rest in what does not.
This is not apathy — this is transcendence.
Finding True Freedom Through Letting Go
By living according to these timeless principles, we transform from being captives of circumstance into conscious witnesses of life’s unfolding. This shift allows us to meet uncertainty with courage and grace, freeing the soul from the burdens of expectation and fear. In this sacred surrender, we find an unshakable sanctuary—a place of stillness where true peace resides.
May this wisdom guide you to loosen your grip, trust life’s flow, and discover the quiet strength that lies beyond control.
Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Travel, Life Hacks, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life!